


Cling to me

by diet_affection



Series: Writings from tumblr [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Keith/Lance (Voltron) Angst, Lance (Voltron) Angst, Love Confessions, M/M, Season 6 Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-16
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2019-07-13 07:00:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16012715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/diet_affection/pseuds/diet_affection
Summary: Reupload from mytumblr (nsfw)





	Cling to me

**Author's Note:**

> Reupload from my [tumblr (nsfw)](https://keith-in-shibari.tumblr.com)

Keith was staring at his reflection in the blade of his dagger, only listening with one ear to the conversation drifting through the kitchen. Since returning from his two years in a time rift, he hadn’t quite … reconnected with the others. He wasn’t sure why, but something seemed off.

As the next words drifted by, he began to suspect what.

“Oh my god, that’s so true! I was literally dead right then!”, Pidge cackled.

“Wasn’t that Lance?”, Hunk offered.

“Haha, yeah – that’s so crazy.”

Pidge leant forward in her chair.

“Hey, Lance, was there a light? Or did you see God?”

Eyes widening, Keith turned to see Lance stand by the kitchen counter, stirring a cup of tea.

“Nope,” he smiled faintly.

“What are you talking about?”, Keith said, and there was an edge in his voice.

They couldn’t possibly mean what it sounded like.

They wouldn’t –

Hunk clasped his hands together, eyes round with amused distress.

“Oh, you haven’t heard?”

“It’s such an insane story –“, Pidge broke in.

“ -he jumped in front of Allura, and he –“

“ – got hit, and had to be resurrected, like Frankenstein’s monster or something -”

“- was literally dead for like two minutes!”

The words muddled into each other as Pidge and Hunk both tried to tell the story, but to Keith, only one word stood out clear.

Dead.

Lance had been dead.

He glanced over and saw that the spoon in Lance’s hand was moving very slowly, scraping a bit against the porcelain.

Keith pushed his chair back with a loud scrape and stood up.

“How can you guys joke about that?”

His voice was trembling with the strain of not shouting, of not spitting out the boiling anger that was coursing through his veins right then.

“It’s fine, dude”, Lance said, trying to laugh it off. He still hadn’t looked up from his tea.

“It’s not fine – how can you say that?”

Smile slipping, Lance shrugged and pointed halfheartedly towards the door.

“I’m just gonna .. I’ve gotta ..”

His voice trailed off as he quickly left the room. The cup of tea stood forgotten at the counter.

The room was silent for a few seconds, apart from Keith’s harsh breathing. He turned on Hunk and Pidge, slamming his hand into the table.

“Don’t you ever joke about that again,” he snarled. Not bothering to wait for a response, he stalked out of the room.

He only had to turn a few corners before he caught up with the hunched figure walking hurriedly away.

“Lance.”

He glanced over his shoulder, seeming surprised. Keith caught a glimpse of an unguarded, anguished expression before he ducked his head away.

“I’m busy, Keith…”

“Lance.”

Without the go-ahead of his mind, he had grabbed Lance’s jacket and pushed him against the wall, holding him still. Seeing how wide-eyed the other was, he instantly softened his grip, but kept his hands on his shoulders.

“You’ve gotta talk to me,” he said, as gently as he could.

“I’m – I’m good, man. I don’t know what you’re going on about.”

Lance was smiling again, expression glossed over.

“You’re clearly not okay,” he tried.

A small laugh tumbled out of the other’s lips, breaking off towards the end.

“I look – I look that bad, huh? That what you’re trying to say? That’s – that’s rude, Keith.”

His voice seemed strangled, the light tone wavering. It was so clear to Keith; in the way Lance’s eyes kept flickering around in panic, as if trying to flee.

Something had gone very wrong while he’d been away.

“It’s okay to feel bad.”

“I don’t feel – I don’t – “

Lance was gasping for air now, pupils blown wide with terror.

“I feel –“

His lips parted, as if to hide in the safe cover of a smile again, but he hesitated a second too long, and broke.

Not quickly, like a glass shattering. It was a slow crumble of emotion; heartbreaking to watch.

His face twisted with cautious sorrow, like he still didn’t feel permitted to express it. As if it was something to be hidden away in deep caves of torment, ice cold and dripping with pain, unseen by the human eye. 

But there were cracks in the mountain, and the pain was leaking. Gathering in the corners of his eyes in heavy beads, before running down his cheeks in quick succession. His eyelashes fluttered wetly in surprise over the tears, gaze still shying away until Keith laid a hand softly against his tear-stained cheek and made him look at him. Made him see him.

“It’s okay, Lance. You’re okay.”

With only a stutter of hesitation, he leant in to press a light kiss onto Lance’s forehead. It made the other draw in a sharp breath, but he didn’t pull back.

“You didn’t die. You’re still here. And so am I,” Keith murmured.

The tears were still running, gathering at Lance’s chin to drip down on his jacket. Oh, he couldn’t bear to leave those cheeks damp and sore. Pressing his mouth softly to one of them, he felt a salty taste on his lips. Lance was still shaking, but his eyes clung to him in a silent plea. 

Keith kissed his other cheek, twice, lingering a second longer to nudge his nose gently into Lance’s. He opened his eyes and saw endless emotions in those blue eyes; a maelstrom churning and swallowing him deep into chaos.

Keith pulled away, suddenly afraid he’d done too much.

“Oh, Lance. I’m sorry… I’m sorry, I just wanted to –“

“It’s ok. I want you close,” Lance whispered.

A tremor wrecking through him, he buried his head in Keith’s black shirt, hands clasped in the fabric.

“Need you close.”

His voice cracked over those vulnerable words, and Keith couldn’t do anything but cling to him.

———-

“So, in conclusion, what we’re trying to say is – we’re sorry.”

Pidge seemed smaller than usual as she pushed her glasses up her nose. Beside her, Hunk was looking down at his hands.

“Yeah, man. We really are.”

Lance opened his mouth to say It’s okay, it was nothing, but hesitated when he felt Keith’s eyes on him. He thought back to the long talk they’d had the night before – how the other had meticulously unraveled the tightly curled ball of lies in his chest, spun them out until he had no choice but to let go. He’d talked about things that had never left the cage of his mind before. He’d been truly honest for the first time in – ages. And after he’d finished, when his lips had been dry, and his chest strangely empty and light, Keith had made him promise.

He’d sworn to be true to his feelings.

He’d sworn to not hide anymore.

So Lance drew in a deep breath, let his eyes be honest, and spoke softly.

“I… I understand, guys. I always joke about things I shouldn’t, so I get why you did it. It’s just – it hurt me. You know? I actually did die. And even I don’t find that funny.”

He curled his hand into an unsure fist on the table.

“If I’m being honest here, and, that’s kind of the whole point - I’ve felt a bit isolated lately? Like you guys are the tech team, and Shiro and Allura are the leader team, and then… there’s just me?”

He noticed the split second where both of their eyes jumped towards Keith; towards the implication that he did have a team, now. He did have a partner.

It made his face soften, and he glanced over at the other, who was looking back at him, all reassuring and kind-faced.

“You’re not alone, Lance,” Keith said, “But we’re all a part of Voltron. We’re a team, all of us.”

“He’s right.”

Pidge squared her shoulders, looking more herself. Lance recognized the twinkle of determination in her eyes.

“Lance, we’re sorry. We’re gonna make it up to you. And from now on, we’ll be a team.”

“A proper team, “ Hunk beamed, eyes still shiny with emotion.

“You know we love you, Lance.”

“I love you guys too,” Lance smiled. The lightness in his chest had been replaced with a steadying warmth.

After the others had left the room, Keith put a hand on his shoulder.

“You did good, Lance. I’m – “

He broke off, lips curling into a gentle smile. When he continued, his words were more guarded, but the smile remained.

“I’m happy for you.”

—–

Lance closed his eyes and let himself sink deeper into the sheets.

He lifted his hand, shaking slightly as he touched the tip of one finger to his forehead. That’s where it had begun. Then his left cheek. And then his right cheek twice. He retraced the pattern of the kisses where they were burnt into soft memories on his skin.

His hand lingered over his mouth, hesitating as the pad of his finger hovered above his lips.

When he caught himself, he bolted upright, flustered warmth boiling up his throat.

—–

Keith leant his hands on the table, flattening the map. Holding himself like that, he looked tall, leader-like. Lance found his eyes exploring the lines of his face as he talked, before falling down to trace the outline of his arms as he pointed around the map.

“You mean Lance is gonna do the extraction? That’s dangerous!”

Hunk’s voice brought him back to this plane of reality – the hard planes he’d been staring at had been from another dimension. A dimension of Greek gods and Vikings and –

“I think he can do it. Right, Lance?”

Lance’s gaze trailed upwards, to the owner of the abs he’d been hypnotized by. At the sight of Keith’s trusting expression, a switch shifted in lance’s mind. He straightened up, willing any blushing away.

“Yes, boss. I can.”

Keith nodded, all serious, but Lance saw the small smile playing on the corner of his lip.

“You remember the layout?”

Clearing his throat, Lance felt calmer.

“Yeah. The doors won’t be possible to hack, so I’ll take the upper route and break through the ceiling. The hallway to the left is guarded. I stay on my right, avoid the cameras at every third section, and I’m by the elevators.”

He continued, detailing the path he’d memorized the night before, as he always did – scrolling through the mission plans until he fell asleep. Keith’s smile grew as he spoke.

“Looks like you got it, sharpshooter,” he said once he’d finished. Lance, of course, flushed.

“You know it.”

“How did you remember all that?”, Pidge asked wonderingly.

Lance shrugged, winking.

“Pure talent.”

“You’re unbelievable,” Hunk chuckled.

“Unbelievably talented, you mean?”

He shot finger guns.

“I mean… yeah.”

Lance faltered, hands dropping.

“Oh.”

—–

“We did it! Oh my god, we did it!”

“You did it!”, Pidge yelled back.

Lance shrieked with joy, throwing his helmet off to reveal a battered face and tousled hair. 

“I did it!”

He ran past the smoking remains of their enemy to the others, who whooped in response to his battle cries. Still laughing, Lance pulled Hunk into a tight hug with one arm while patting Shiro’s shoulder with the other, span around to lift Pidge into the air, and then he was in Keith’s arms, who had a scrape on his nose but his eyes were twinkling, and then he leant in and they were kissing.

Keith’s mouth was warm. There was a faint tinge of blood, but it drowned in the rush of taste; of sensation. Lance was pulling him closer, closer – a hand at his shoulder and one in his hair, tugging him against his chest and deeper into his mouth.

Then he was being pushed back, and his lips immediately felt cold. He didn’t have time to feel worried before he saw the giddy joy on Keith’s face, the way his cheeks were flushed and his eyes brimming with fondness. Lance grinned back, before following the other’s gaze and turning around to face four very interested expressions.

Oh, right. The others were here.

They were wide-eyed, some more surprised than others, but they were all smiling. Lance felt his entire face flush as he laughed weakly and tried to calm his thundering heart.

“Yup, guys… This is a thing now, apparently.”

He spun around to whisper worriedly to Keith, “This is a thing, right?”

“Oh, it’s a thing,” Keith smirked, before putting an arm around him to pull him close and whisper in his ear.

“If you want it to be?”

Lance could only nod, in a daze of warm euphoria. He was overcome with happiness, and the sense of belonging. This was his partner. These were his people, and he belonged.

He felt lightheaded, almost weightless, and then he was weightless as he was swept off his feet to land safely in Keith’s arms. Holy shit, he had a strong boyfriend. That thought was amazing enough to keep him from protesting as he was carried off bridal style, Keith yelling over his shoulder, “See you in a minute! We have some things to take care of.”

Lance blew kisses back towards the grimacing paladins, and threw his head back to laugh. He kept giggling all the way around the lion, until they were hidden in its shadow and his mouth became busy with other things.

**Author's Note:**

> [My tumblr (nsfw)](https://keith-in-shibari.tumblr.com)


End file.
